Struggling to Live.
"It means there's radiation in those clouds, boy. You'll die if you get rained on. Trust me, there's no survivors," the man had a sincerity in his voice now. "Even if your parents aren't dead, they will be soon. I don't mean to be rude, but there's no way you can get into town, get them, and get back out before that radiated rain comes pouring down on you."
Cameron considered what the man said. He hated not going to search for his parents, but he knew that the man was right.
"Can I come with you? Where are you going?" Cameron asked as he choked back tears.
"What you got in that pack of yours?" The man asked.
"Just some clothes, few cans of food and a water bottle," Cameron answered.
"Give my daughter her choice of one of your canned food goodies and we'll let you tag along," the man asked.
"No, I need this food," Cameron said.
"Okay!" he shouted as the man started to speed away.
He climbed into the back of the buggy and began searching his backpack for the canned food. He handed her beans and green beans. He kept the corn, it was his favorite healthy food.
"This it?" She asked.
"Yes," Cameron lied.
The buggy slowed down, and the man looked back at Cameron.
"You wanna' get out boy?" He eyeballed Cameron eerily.
Cameron sighed and handed the girl corn, which she chose, of course. He grit his teeth in anger and then the thoughts of his parents flashed in his mind. He'd never been intimate with his parents. As in he never talked with them other than what was happening at the time they talked. He'd never told them how he felt about them or how much he loved them. He masked his emotions around his parents. He didn't know why, they were never the kind of parents that were mean to him.
A bulge in Cameron's throat formed as he held back tears.
The man said something to his daughter that Cameron couldn't quite make out. She leaned forward and then held out a small envelope to Cameron.
Cameron considered what the man said. He hated not going to search for his parents, but he knew that the man was right.
"Can I come with you? Where are you going?" Cameron asked as he choked back tears.
"What you got in that pack of yours?" The man asked.
"Just some clothes, few cans of food and a water bottle," Cameron answered.
"Give my daughter her choice of one of your canned food goodies and we'll let you tag along," the man asked.
"No, I need this food," Cameron said.
"Okay!" he shouted as the man started to speed away.
He climbed into the back of the buggy and began searching his backpack for the canned food. He handed her beans and green beans. He kept the corn, it was his favorite healthy food.
"This it?" She asked.
"Yes," Cameron lied.
The buggy slowed down, and the man looked back at Cameron.
"You wanna' get out boy?" He eyeballed Cameron eerily.
Cameron sighed and handed the girl corn, which she chose, of course. He grit his teeth in anger and then the thoughts of his parents flashed in his mind. He'd never been intimate with his parents. As in he never talked with them other than what was happening at the time they talked. He'd never told them how he felt about them or how much he loved them. He masked his emotions around his parents. He didn't know why, they were never the kind of parents that were mean to him.
A bulge in Cameron's throat formed as he held back tears.
The man said something to his daughter that Cameron couldn't quite make out. She leaned forward and then held out a small envelope to Cameron.